I'm writing this one up from memory. Two days ago was a long time ago, at the moment. Let me see...

I collected my new friend - let's call him The Yank - at 8:30 and immediately asked where I could buy something resembling coffee. We went to the coffee shop and I bought a latte. It was regretable but the morning improved after that.

Capitol Reef is one of the lesser known National Parks in Utah. I had a somewhat vague idea of what I wanted to see and do there but The Yank was full of local knowledge and took me to all the good haunts. No time wasted. :-) Capitol Reef features a few really cool things - petrolglyphs, for one. Also something called the Pioneer Register. This is a canyon wall where early pioneers carved their names as they travelled the route on their way to where ever the hell they were going. Some of the smart ass cowboys used their guns to shoot their initials into the wall. I would've totally done that.

I then drove the car stupidly fast out of the park to go get lunch. At least, I thought it was fast until The Yank and I decided to go travel the road to Escalante and back. This would be the ultra cool road I mentioned in the previous blog. The Yank was happy to hold the camera and video some stretches of road for me. Very generous of him because that camera gets heavy after a while. Especially when I'm doing the driving equivalent of reining, cutting and roll-backs in a car. I did my best to cover the road really, really fast so he wouldn't have to hold it for long. I was in a generous mood.

Interesting Utah facts - motorbike riders don't have to wear helmets. If you love your motorbike enough to eat three kilos of bugs as you fly down the highway, that is your right. If you feel like contributing to the organ donor list, this is also your right. They won't stop you. They're pretty lax about seatbelts, too. When we headed off on this burn to Escalante and back, The Yank was all reclined in the car, all casual like. I kind of looked at him and said, "Are you serious?" He did not see the big deal. I had to point out that it was ME driving, I'm a raving lunatic on the road, I'm a tourist with a stupidly fast car and we were about to go flat knacker down some very serious road.

He belted up. Smart boy.

This is the main reason I don't have heaps of photos from the day. There is lots of video. Pretty sure I set a new land speed record for Torrey to Escalante and back again. Double the speed limit for a fair bit of it, overtaking on double lines, all sorts of insanity. I was confident I had scared The Yank senseless but he shocked me by saying I drive better than most Americans. This is terrifying news. I'm a freaking tourist. Anyway, the road. I still can't describe this road. When I have a chance I will clip the road trip together. You won't believe your eyes.

Other highlights of the day include seeing some deer, and seeing buffalo!!! Freaking buffalo!!!! I don't care that they are in someone's paddock - they're still buffalo. They are the size of small cars.

Dinner was at a place called The Saddlery. Confusing because I saw no tack for sale. There was a stuffed bucking bull in the entry. They were kind enough to return its balls when they stuffed it. I'm sure the bull appreciates that. Several mounted buffalo heads on the wall, and a chandelier made of elk antlers. Had a distinctly Utah feel to it. I ate some dead cow and then shot four games of pool.

Lost all four of them, that's how good I am at that.